Stress management and conflict management strategies

Conflict & Stress Management

Strength & Weakness:

Stress is the byproduct of the fast paced modern life and everyone today faces this menace. Stress generally bogs people down but dealing with it is one of my strengths. Dealing with stress is a matter of personal qualities rather than the efforts of some organization or institution. Therefore personal will and strength are important characteristics in dealing with stress.

There are always differences in people's opinions and these differences result in conflict. My reaction to conflict like many other people is avoiding it but this is not the solution to the problem. Hence, conflict management is one weak area where like many others I need improvement.

Example from Daily Life:

In workplace situation too much stress on individuals could result in poor employee performance and absenteeism etc. Research also shows that stress contributes to hypertension, psychological disorders and coronary heart disease. Other than physical problems anxiety, depression, job dissatisfaction, maladaptive behavioral patterns, chemical dependencies, and alcohol & substance abuse could also result because of stress.

Conflicts can happen in family structure, a social situation, school or the workplace. If we take the example of a school setting then school administrators may face conflicts on issues like curriculum, building maintenance, classroom aides and the ideal class size etc. Students working on a project may develop conflict on the topic to be discussed, the solution to the issues or the way final presentation has to be made. In work situation conflicts occur on a daily basis when people work in team on certain projects. Whatever the situation the conflict management can be considered a crucial skill for everyone to succeed in practical life situations.

Help or Hindrance:

Stress management is the necessary skill for a healthy, safe and productive life because it directly affects the mental as well as physical health of individuals. A person should know how to address such issues and lead a normal and balanced life. If people do not know how to manage stress then it could hinder not just their academic or professional life but it could also hurt their personal lives as well.

The conflict management becomes more important in practical life and work place because people with different values, experiences, beliefs and perceptions come together in an organizational setting. Today's students have to enter the work life later and therefore they should learn how to manage the conflict for successful practical life.

Theory:

Stress has been discussed in theory by experts and researchers in the fields of medicine, psychology, sociology, and now the list includes even corporate organizations and institutions. "Stress has been implicated as contributing to a variety of physical disorders. One study reported that a company spent $3,400 annually for one employee with anxiety headaches, which included the loss of productivity, doctor visits, and negative effects on coworkers (Manning & Curtis, 1988)" (Crampton, Hodge, Mishra & Price, 1995).

Differences according to researches most of the time is a positive thing because new ideas can generate only when people differ. Differences become conflicts when they linger on in a negative way and when they are not managed. Conflict management has also become a specialized field and various methods have been devised to deal with the issues. "According to Jason Donaghy, Fermanagh Trust, the program developed at Harvard Conflict Management Group has been adapted to the needs of people living in Northern Ireland. All kinds of conflict are tackled, from problems in the work place, to disputes in housing estates, contentious parades, or even a neighborly argument over the garden fence, he explained" (Palmer, 2004).

SMART Plan:

Conflict can be managed in different ways by different persons. A step-by-step method is being planned to deal with the conflicts.

Differentiation between symptoms and problems: Mostly poor managers cannot differentiate between symptoms and real problems. For example if there are clashes taking place among students then this is the symptom pointing towards some deeper issue or problem. If problems are not dealt with then specific disagreements may be resolved, but the underlying issues will continue.

Early identification: Early identification of the problem is the next step in the conflict management. Mostly it happens that problems are avoided and later on they become totally out of control later on. Therefore it is very important to identify and tackle the issues in the beginning instead of waiting for them to become burning issues.

Benchmarks: In most of the organizational issues benchmarks are present against which the resolution of an issue is sought. Even when benchmarks are not present then they can be set using the best examples in the particular field. Benchmarks are yardsticks against which goals are set.

Time Tested Principles: Good listening skills help in resolution of biggest conflicts. A person must always be prepared to listen, either to get together the facts or to give the other person a chance to vent and calm down. Empathy and good listening skills can be powerful weapons.

Similarly conversational rather than confrontational skills help in the resolution of issues. In difficult situation a person should think of reasonable questions to deal with the situation at hand. When a person is on the defensive, a good question can take the mind off an incident and drag it elsewhere. Also if the other person asks questions then one should respond politely to the person.

Role Playing: Role playing can be an exercise to put oneself in the shoes of others. This exercise would create a sense of understanding and would help people remain clam in tough situations. This could be a very practical approach to teach people how to deal with conflicts.

TimeLine: No problem can be solved in matter of hours or minutes. It takes days to come to a sustainable solution to a conflict or problem but at the same time it can not linger for a long time. Therefore, it is advisable to also set realistic time limits for improvements.